The present invention relates to detecting faults within electric transmission networks, and, more particularly, but not exclusively to locating and measuring leakage current in an electric transmission network.
Electric insulation of the cables of an electric transmission network deteriorates with time. Insulation faults cause localized leakage current. Leakage currents cause loss of energy, increase fuel consumption, and require higher investment in power generating facilities. Strong leakage currents are hazardous to humans, especially to network maintenance workers. If an insulation fault is not located and repaired in time it can damage the network (such as neighboring cables) and cause power outage. Leakage currents can cause power outages that can damage electronic equipment that feeds off the network.
Locating leakage currents in an operational electric transmission network is currently performed manually, and thus infrequently. Every segment of the network is tested at a different time, and thus, there is no continuous measurement of any part of the network, and there is no knowledge of the condition of the network as a whole.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an insulation fault prediction system for electric transmission networks devoid of the above limitations.